Bruno L. Says:
I’ve heard healthcare in Portugal is free for expats. Is this true?
IL Contributor in Portugal Tricia Pimental Writes:
The Portugal National Health Service, Serviço Nacional de Saúde, is available to all full-time residents who have registered with the Segurança Social. This can be done as soon as you receive your D-7 visa and demonstrate that you are either retired or paying into the tax system here.
In the first year of your residence in the country, you will have to have private insurance—not just traveler’s insurance—which is available from many international providers as well as Portuguese health insurance companies. Each has its own particular requirements, so it’s a good idea to shop around. A word of warning: the options for those over 65 narrow considerably.
The system itself is considered world-class and one of the best in Europe. My experience with both the public hospitals and the private clinics has always been positive.
Generally, you can expect to pay from $6 to $20 for most consultations in or out of the public system. Specialists are available throughout the country but are more commonly found in the major metro areas. Given the country’s compactness, however, you are rarely more than a reasonable drive away from the best care available.
Prescription medications are available at farmácias, which seem to be located on every corner. These pharmacies will generally sell you most non-dangerous medications as long as you know what you need, especially if you have the box of the original prescription. With a doctor’s order they will be all-but-free to a full-time resident.
You can learn much more about healthcare in Portugal in Chapter 7 of Escape to Portugal.
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